Cut creator Yea Big and emcee Kid Static create a virtual Chicago travel guide with new video “The Life Here” from acclaimed debut album. Other film appearances for Static include CMJ performance, obscure Will Smith sleeper movie, “I Am Legend.”
Duo to bring its most-fun-hip-hop-show-we’ve-ever-seen to local hip hop fests this winter.
“My head jiggled atop my neck and my torso twisted and my brain cheerfully gyrated as this quirky and creative hip hop-based experimental mix of blues, electronica and extraterrestrial laptop tinkering had its way with my members.” – Chris Catania, Popmatters
“Stuttering, glitchy, and just plain jaw-dropping, Yea Big’s beats are up there with the big guns of Prefuse 73 and Daedelus. With Kid Static’s humorous, yet angst-filled rhyming filling it out, this duo have put excitement and innovation back into hip-hop.” – XLR8R
“More happens in these two minutes than an hour-long episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, so just imagine what the rest of their loop-laden, wise-cracking debut brings.” – Reed Fischer, Paper Thin Walls on the track “The Basement/Enfant Terrible” (MP3).
Chicago-based hip hop duo Yea Big + Kid Static have been basking in the love that comes from making one of the most fun and furious beatmeister-rhymemaster records of the year in the form of their recently issued, self-titled debut. The first video to come from the record is an homage to the town they call home. “The Life Here” contains footage of more Chicago landmarks than Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and it’s just as memorable to boot.
Ever wonder what happened to the FUN in hip-hop? What happened to the Digital Undergrounds, the Biz Markies and the De La Souls? With all this serious rap, who fills in the gap for the people who just want to get their dance on? You know the answer!
Some of the locations that should be familiar to any Chicagoan include: Comiskey Park, Edgewater, Evanston, Garfield Park, Gold Coast, Homan and Jackson Avenues, Humboldt Park, Jefferson Park, Lincoln Park, McCormick Place, The “Magnificent Mile,” “The Bean,” South Shore Cultural Center, West Loop, Wicker Park, Senn High School (w/ Yea Big’s dog Miso) and The “El.” Not bad for a band on a budget! See it HERE!
YB + KS were also captured on video during CMJ commanding the audience to “Eat Yo Sandwich” and while Kid Static (aka Moses Harris, Jr.) is willing to submit to the lo-fi approach here, he’s also quite familiar with the most hi-fi of film experiences — the professional stuntman by day can be seen in the upcoming Will Smith mega-movie I Am Legend.
Interested parties can inquire about Static’s experiences working with The Fresh Prince when Yea Big + Kid Static rock a couple of Chicago hip-hop festivals in January with members of Jurassic 5, The Cool Kids, Verbal Kent and others. See below for more information.
Yea Big + Kid Static Live:
01/12/08 Tinley Park, IL Krush Skatepark (w/ The Cool Kids, DJ Intel, Shock Stars, Cold Water Mystic, Tramp Stamp, members of Jurassic 5)
01/18/08 Chicago, IL Metro Rhymefest w/ Verbal Kent
Yea Big + Kid Static Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE
01. The Screaming Starts At Sundown
02. We’ve Built A Time Machine That Runs On Beats. We Shall Only Use It For Good.
03. Static Leads The Coup
04. Transmission Ended
05. Joining Forces
06. Speak The Facts
07. Low Budget Battle Scene
08. The Basement / Enfant Terrible (MP3)
09. On The Blink
10. Repairs Are Needed
11. Duck, Mother Fuckers! (MP3)
12. Revel In The Aftermath
13. The Life Here (MP3)
14. Things Have To Change, Pete
15. Why The Fuck Does This Keep Happening
16. Back Into The Sleeve
More about Yea Big + Kid Static:
YEA BIG: Yea Big (Stefen Robinson) is a detail obsessed mad scientist of the mix reared on Ravi Shankar, bluegrass and Motown. He released his first full length CD, The Wind That Blows The Robot’s Arms, in 2006 on Chicago’s Jib Door label to much confusion and praise. One dude called The Wind “an ADD trip through instrumental spaz-hop”. Yea Big has done remixes for Minneapolis avant-hip hop outfit Kill The Vultures, the 12 Apostles label, Illegal Art (Girl Talk), and continues to produce tour only mash-up and remix EP’s, the first two of which feature The Mae-Shi and Rapider Than Horsepower. He is also a part-time member of the Illegal Art group, Oh Astro.
KID STATIC: Producing and emceeing since childhood, native South Side Chicagoan Kid Static started off at the green age of 12-years-old, making frenetic and glitchy chiptunes. Years later, he gained local recognition as the front man for the defunct instrumental hip-hop group, The Cankles, whose much lauded Goddamn!! dropped in 2005 along with Static’s privately issued solo debut Have You Seen This Man? Stunt double by trade, Static is also an avid enthusiast of that mad French urban import parkour. No doubt, these on and off screen antics contribute heavily to Static’s sci fi, action obsessed narrative wordplay.
THE UNION: In fall 2005, Yea Big took a beating on one of Chicago’s largest hip hop message boards for reasons no one really remembers too well these days. Static watched as the crossfire obliterated this unheard of deejay and, after checking out some of his music online, invited Yea Big to collaborate with him. Drawn to Big’s atom splitting beats, Static says, “he’s doing the music I always heard in my head”. For his part, Yea Big, was mesmerized with Static’s presence. “His voice has an energy and grit. His phrasing, texture and flow did it for me.”
THE PRESENT: Over the last two years of collaborating together, Static and Big have played for Michigan meth farmers, cape cod yacht rockers, snacked on cheesesteaks behind the backs of Philly vegans and played grabass and smacked hi-fives with each and every one of them. Because in the world of high misadventure of Yea Big and Kid Static, the odd man out is always in.
